Can I File a Lawsuit or Insurance Claim for a Motor Vehicle Accident?

MVA Lawyers College Park, MD

Depending on the circumstances of your motor vehicle accident (MVA) you may be able to file a claim with the help of MVA lawyers College Park, MD motorists can rely on.

The aftermath of a car accident can be disorienting. One moment, you’re driving along minding your own business. The next moment, you are violently reminded of just how dangerous the act of driving truly is.

As a result of the disorienting nature of car accidents themselves, it is certainly understandable that a car accident victim’s first question may be:

“Do I call my attorney or my insurance company first?”

When accidents involve injuries, an individual’s first steps should always be to seek medical care. In the case of non-injurious fender benders, it may not be necessary to take any actions in the wake of an accident at all. If you do though, many people find that it is easier to do this with the help of MVA lawyers who are licensed to practice in College Park and throughout MD (or in the jurisdiction where your accident occurred) rather than try to do this on your own.

Filing a Lawsuit

If another driver was either partially or totally at fault for the fender bender and you sustained significant injury or property damage, it may benefit you to speak with an attorney about filing a personal injury lawsuit. You may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages as a result of the accident.

But if your fender bender was truly a minor occurrence and neither resulted in injury nor significant property damage, it may not be in your best interests to file a claim. Defendants are generally only held liable for harm done as a result of their negligent, reckless or intentional behavior. If no real harm occurred as a result of the accident, you may not have grounds for a solid claim. Discussing your situation with College Park, MD MVA lawyers may help you to determine the validity of your claim.

Filing an Insurance Claim

If your car has sustained minor damage as a result of a fender bender, it can be tempting to call your insurance company immediately. After all, you pay very good money to have insurance, so why shouldn’t your insurance company pay for the minor damage? It is certainly within your rights to call your insurance company but you may want to think twice before doing so.

Even if the fender bender was in no way your fault, reporting that an accident occurred may result in an automatic hike in your car insurance premiums. This hike may cost you far more money in the long-run than it will cost to fix the minor damage out of pocket. It is also worth examining your policy to determine whether any costs associated with the minor costs come close to your deductible. If you would have to pay the vast majority of the cost anyway, it may not benefit you to get your insurance company involved.

Even though you may not need lawyers to settle this kind of MVA, many College Park, MD accident victims recommend discussing an accident with a lawyer to learn your rights in advance of talking to insurance companies.

Additional Questions?

In regards to motor vehicle accidents of any kind, the old saying, “When in doubt, ask questions,” applies. Consulting with an attorney about your fender bender will typically not obligate you to any actions. However, asking any questions you may have about filing a suit or insurance claim will allow you to make informed decisions about these issues. Fender benders may be minor accidents, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that their aftermath is a situation easily dismissed. If anything about your accident makes you feel ill at ease or inspires a question, please consider speaking with an experienced personal injury attorney today.

For MVA lawyers College Park, MD accident victims and their families recommend with over 25 years of successfully defending the rights of injured people, contact Cohen & Cohen, P.C. for a free case evaluation with no obligation.